Taking the Long Way

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Monthly Archives: June 2016

I can simply say about the island of Bjornsund, that it was exceptionally beautiful and the people are spectacular! We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit, thanks to the great organization of our fellow Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) member, Jan, for having orchestrated the Arctic Rally and including Bjornsund on the itinerary. Bjornsund was…

Detour was the last boat of the fleet to arrive in Alesund. I’ll admit, we took a bit of a round’about way getting there because we thought we might spot puffins off the coast of an outlying island called Runde. The puffins, apparently, did not receive the Arctic Rally overnight memo (it had been a…

It was smooth sailing around Statt, despite the swell and the headwind, the conditions had calmed enough for us to complete roughly 20nm of open coastline. The point protrudes like a fist aiming straight at your nose! Curled knuckles are formed by sloping cliff sides. It was a motoring night, but our first experience of the…

We motored 52nm from Svanøy to the island of Selje. The forecast had not exactly cooperated; despite any detours we took, the wind remained on our nose all day. We cut through a fjord where spectacular heights towered over Detour. We stopped for a quick fishing break and kept three small pollock for bait. Brian began…

The Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) Arctic Rally fleet cast-off from Bergen promptly at 09:00 with a fabulous forecast for suntanning but a light headwind. We motored along, selected routes through narrow passes between islands. Glenn quickly acquired his sea legs as we admired the views of hamlets along the shorelines. As we approached the final destination…

Bergen has the reputation of being Norway’s rainiest location, yet on the day we arrived the sun was shining brilliantly and it was HOT! Brian, Bruce, Kathy, and I were well rested from our peaceful night anchored at Lysøya; it had been our last night together before the chaos ensued. That morning we’d each taken…

Our time with Bruce and Kathy aboard will have ended by the time you read this post. We had so many memorable moments and learned much about the teeny bit of Norway we were fortunate to have explored together! I can share only a glimpse of the voyage; highlights such as fabulous anchorages, local culture, amazing scenery……

I had fallen asleep while sitting up at the dinner table. It was almost midnight and I was tired even though it wasn’t dark! Everyone chatted about future plans at towns that I cannot pronounce. Every day had an adventure and Brian and Stephanie were eager to capture each one! This particular day, we’d sailed a lot. The sun shone…

Our hearts were pumping, our legs were aching, and around every bend…”AAHH, UP again!” The weather was spectacular on the day we tackled the trail to Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock), as if we’d stepped into one of Norway’s tourist guide photos. We started from the village of Jørpeland, Detour was anchored nearby. Transportation from Jørpeland Quay to the…

Brian and I arrived right on schedule at Stavanger, Norway and docked Detour at our pre-planned space along the inside wall at Borevika. We’d corresponded with the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) Port Captain in Stavanger; he’d provided excellent directions and we knew exactly what to expect at Borevika, “…where all the OCC’ers dock.” Brian and…